CHAPTER 6: AND THEN S.H.I.E.L.D. GOT THE BOMB
Bruce walked around the scepter, waving a scanner over it and looking at the readings. "The gamma readings are definitely consistent with Selvig's reports of the Tesseract. But it's going to take weeks to process."
Tony pressed a few buttons on the screen he had brought in and hooked up to S.H.I.E.L.D.s equipment. "If we bypass their mainframe and direct route to the Homer cluster, we can clock this at around 600 teraflops."
"Heh," Bruce smirked. "All I packed was a toothbrush."
Tony smiled as he walked over. "You know, you should come by Stark Tower sometime. Top ten floors, all R&D. You'd love it. It's Candy Land." As he said that, he grabbed a small prod from the work table.
"Thanks," Bruce replied without looking up. "But the last time I was in New York, I kind of broke Harlem." He paused there, wincing from the memories of his battle with Abomination and all the devastation he had caused. He still had the nightmares. He was already scared of the other guy. To know there was someone else out there, who actively tried to bring his stronger counterpart out, was terrifying. One was more than enough.
"Well, I promise a stress-free environment," Tony said to him. "No tension, no surprises." As soon as he said that, he turned around and shocked Bruce in the side with the prod.
"OW!" Bruce exclaimed from the shock, turning suddenly. Tony looked deep into his eyes, trying to find any trace of green.
"Hey!" Steve suddenly called out, walking in.
"Nothing?" Tony asked in surprise as Bruce looked at him, rubbing his side.
"Are you nuts?" Steve asked. He couldn't believe Tony would do something so stupid just to satisfy his own curiosity.
"Jury's out," Tony replied, causing Bruce to chuckle as he got back to work. "You really have got a lid on it, haven't you? What's your secret? Mellow jazz, bongo drums, huge bag of weed?"
Steve stared at him. "Is everything a joke to you?"
Tony pointed the prod at him. "Funny things are."
"Threatening the safety of everyone on this ship isn't funny," Steve told him. He then looked over at Bruce. "No offense, Doc."
"Yeah, uh, it's all right," Bruce said, "I wouldn't have come aboard if I couldn't handle pointy things." At this, he looked over at Tony and the prod still in his hands.
Tony smirked as he moved away. "You're tip-toeing, big man. You need to strut."
"And you need to focus on the problem, Mr. Stark," Steve said, having had enough.
"You think I'm not," Tony questioned, pulling out a small bag. "Why did Fury call us in? Why now? Why not before? What isn't he telling us? I can't do the equation unless I have all the variables."
Steve pondered this. "You think Fury's hiding something?"
"He's a spy," Tony said in response. "Captain, he's 'the' spy. His secrets have secrets." He popped several blueberries from his pack into his mouth. "It's bugging him too, isn't it?" He gestured to Bruce with his thumb.
Bruce looked up. "Uh…" He then waved his hands in front of him. "I just want to finish my work here, and…"
"Doctor?" Steve interrupted. He wanted his opinion. Tony, it was clear, would say anything to get attention. But Bruce would be completely honest. And he was clearly thinking of something.
Bruce sighed and looked up, hesitating. He wasn't sure he should say what he was thinking. But Steve clearly wasn't going to let it go. "A warm light for all mankind," he said as he took off his glasses. "Loki's jab at Fury about the Cube."
"I heard it," Steve nodded.
"Well, I think that was meant for you." Bruce pointed at Tony who then held out his bag of blueberries to him. Bruce shrugged and took a couple. "Even if Barton didn't tell Loki about the tower, it was still all over the news."
"The Stark Tower?" Steve clarified, raising an eyebrow. "That big, ugly…" he stopped as Tony turned and gave him a look. "…building in New York?" he finished awkwardly.
"It's powered by an arc reactor, a self-sustaining energy source," Bruce explained and Tony nodded in response. "That building will run itself for what, a year?" he asked.
"It's just the prototype," Tony replied. He then turned back to Steve. "I'm kind of the only name in clean energy right now. That's what he's getting at."
"So, why didn't S.H.I.E.L.D. bring him in on the Tesseract project?" Bruce continued. "What are they doing in the energy business in the first place?"
Steve frowned as that hit him.
"I should probably look into that once my decryption program finishes breaking into all of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s secure files," Tony said, walking over to his phone and picking it up.
Steve gaped for a second before walking up. "I'm sorry, did you say…"
"JARVIS has been running it since I hit the bridge," Tony told him straight-faced. "In a few hours, I'll know every dirty secret S.H.I.E.L.D. has ever tried to hide. Blueberry?" He held out the bag.
"Yet you're confused about why they didn't want you around," Steve said. He stared in disbelief at the man before him. He was nothing like Howard Stark. That man had done his duty and served without going behind his leader's back. Plus, Tony's ego was inflated over a hundred more times than Howard's. It was like he knew he was the best, but he constantly had to prove it to everyone else. Just like all those braggart bullies that beat up on Steve in the back alleys.
"An intelligence organization that fears intelligence? Historically, not awesome," Tony said to him, as if speaking to a child.
"I think Loki's trying to wind us up," Steve said, a little louder. "This is a man who means to start a war and if we don't stay focused, he'll succeed." He looked over at Bruce who glanced back up. "We have orders," he said firmly, looking back at Tony. "We should follow them."
"Following's not really my style," Tony replied uncaringly, popping a blueberry in his mouth.
Steve took a deep breath. "And you're all about style, aren't you?"
Tony seemed to think for a second. "Of the people in this room, which one is A: wearing a spangly outfit, and B: not of use?" he asked mockingly.
"Steve?" Bruce said calmly. "Tell me none of this smells a little funky to you."
Steve looked at him and Tony, unsure how to answer. Because it did. But he didn't want to admit it. Not in front of Tony at least. And not really even to himself. "Just find the Cube," he said and walked out.
He made it a few steps out the door before he came to a stop again. It was too late. The two had gotten into his head. Plus, he had never fully trusted S.H.I.E.L.D. ever since they had tried to fake his hospital room when he woke up. Fury had always been cagey, secretive. Bruce and Tony had just piled on. He had to know more. He glanced down the hallways, making sure no one was watching, before following two agents who had walked past.
"That's the guy my dad never shut up about?" Tony asked in disbelief. "I'm wondering if they shouldn't have kept him on ice."
"Huh," Bruce said, looking over some data on the screens. "Guy's not wrong about Loki. He does have the jump on us."
"What he's got is an Acme dynamite kit," Tony replied. "It's gonna blow up in his face. And I'm going to be there when it does."
"Yeah. I'll read all about," Bruce said, smiling as he sent some data over.
Tony caught it on his screen. "Uh-huh," he said. "Or you'll be suiting up with the rest of us."
Bruce chuckled wryly. That could never happen. "No, you see, I don't get a suit of armor. I'm exposed." He stopped what he was doing, becoming lost in it now. "Like a nerve. It's a nightmare." He breathed out, shaking himself off.
"You know, I've got a cluster of shrapnel trying every second to crawl its way into my heart," Tony said to him, serious for once. "This stops it." He tapped his chest piece. "This little circle of light, it's part of me now. Not just armor." He walked over, stopping on the other side of Bruce's screen. "It's a terrible privilege."
He didn't talk much about it, how close he was to death every day with his chest piece. It wasn't something he liked to think about. He didn't tell Pepper, but he could barely sleep from the nightmares. The memories of that cave, that explosion. Of everything that came after. Sometimes, he felt more like a ghost than an actual man. The only thing that got him through was Pepper. She kept him grounded, made him feel safer. Made him feel like he had a future even though he was constantly on the verge of death.
"But you can control it," Bruce told him.
"Because I learned how."
"It's different," Bruce shook his head.
"Hey," Tony said, moving all the data files on the screen to the side, "I read all about your accident. That much gamma exposure should have killed you."
"So you're saying that the Hulk…" Bruce stopped himself, pausing to recollect his thoughts. "The other guy saved my life?" he corrected. "That's nice. It's a nice sentiment. Saved it for what?"
Tony looked at him, thinking. "I guess we'll find out," he said, walking away.
"You may not enjoy that," Bruce warned him.
"And you just might," Tony replied, the two getting back to work. He then paused. "What do you make of those demigods? You believe them?"
Bruce shrugged. "They didn't seem to want to share what they told us, so…"
Tony thought about that. The thought of that type of magic excited him. When that sword had popped out of that pen, he felt a giddy rush like he was a kid again. They may call it magic, but to him it was just a science he didn't understand yet. But he would. He always did.
As for the gods, that was surprisingly easy to understand. He had met Thor in real life, made sense he wouldn't be the only one. And if the gods were around, it also made sense they would want to go around having children. Tony was just glad he didn't have that particular problem. He may have gone around in his day (maybe a little too much) but at least he had been more careful about it.
Still, if he could just get his hands on one of their weapons, like Thor's hammer or Percy's sword, and study it…the things he could accomplish.
He shook himself away from those thoughts. He had a job to do now. Find the Cube. Save the world. Then find a way to make magical weapons.
Steve walked down the hallway, heading for the storage areas of the Helicarrier. He didn't feel comfortable about this at all but he couldn't shake the doubts in his head. He had to know for sure.
"Hey Cap!" Steve stumbled and turned to see Percy standing there. "What are you looking for?" he asked.
"Um…" Steve hesitated before giving Percy another look. The kid wasn't arrogant like Stark and he seemed to have a good heart. "Actually, I might need you on something."
Percy shrugged. "Then I'm your guy. Hit me."
Steve quickly told him what Tony and Bruce had said and his own doubts. Percy nodded along. "Alright, so where do you think they might be hiding this…whatever it is?"
"Storage," Steve replied. "Anywhere that has limited access."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Alright, lead the way."
They walked side by side, nodding calmly at all passing agents. As they walked, Steve took a closer look at the kid. He looked maybe 18, with the scruff of a beard growing. He almost looked like any other teenager out on the streets. Which made knowing he was actually the son of a mythological Greek god all the stranger. Steve was struggling with how to handle that news. It was easier since he had met Thor, but still. Percy seemed so ordinary besides the water powers. It was hard to believe that his father was the god of the sea.
As Steve looked at him, he began to notice things. Small scars, the tension in the muscles, the lines in his face. And the eyes. During the war, Steve had seen eyes like that before. Eyes that betrayed the hardship those people had lived through. This kid had suffered and fought.
"What?"
Steve blinked, realizing he had been staring too long. "Sorry, it's just…" he paused, thinking of how best to say it. "That look in your eyes. I don't really see it outside of soldiers."
Percy stopped, taking a deep breath.
"You've fought before," Steve said. "The way you used your sword against Loki wasn't just from training. That comes from experience in combat." Steve studied his reaction and knew he was right. "I'm guessing it has something to do with the whole Greek god thing."
Percy nodded. "Yeah." He took a deep breath. "Life for a demigod…it's, um, never easy. You see, all the monsters from the myths are real too. And they like to hunt us down. So, if you don't learn how to fight, your chance of survival is low."
Steve simply stared, not really believing what he was hearing. All these kids, forced to fight for their own survival, hunted down and killed by actual monsters. He felt sick to his stomach thinking about it. "There has to be a way to fix that."
Percy smiled. "Yeah, well we're working on it. We try to get as many kids to the camps, safe havens," he added, "as quickly as possible. Train them as well as we can. But, in the end," he shrugged, "there's really not much we can do. The monsters never really die. It's like a video game. They just respawn."
"Video game?" Steve asked uncertainly.
Percy grimaced. "Ah, right, you wouldn't know about that. Uh, well…" he stopped, thinking. "I really don't know the best way to explain it," he admitted. "Too hard. Doesn't matter anyway. The point is that the monsters keep coming back. We demigods just do the best we can to survive. Try and have a normal life. But…" Here his voice changed slightly, becoming darker. "The universe doesn't seem to want me to have a normal life. Keeps throwing me into more messes to clean up. I've been doing this since I was 12 and it hasn't let up since. Every time I think that this is it, that this is the moment where I'll finally live a normal life, something else gets tossed my way. Like this for example." He let out a long shaky breath. "Now I've got an alien army coming and I have no idea how to deal with that." He stopped there and looked back up at Steve. "Sorry, didn't mean to unload all that on you."
"No, no, it's fine," Steve told him. He eyed the kid with sympathy. He clearly had suffered a lot for someone his age. No one should have to go through that. "Then why did you come?" he asked. "If you wanted a normal life, you didn't have to accept this mission. No one would have blamed you."
"I would have," Percy replied simply. "That's the problem man. If I knew that an alien army was coming and I did nothing to help stop it, I would have blamed myself." He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes. "Last year, someone came by asking for help. I didn't think much of it though. It didn't seem like a big deal. He wanted me to go on a big quest, or mission, with him but I didn't want that. So, I said no. Then, that mission got bigger and more dangerous and more of my friends got involved. And then it was revealed that some evil masterminds were behind trying to take over the world or something. And one of my friends died stopping them."
Steve closed his eyes as well, feeling for him. He could still see Bucky's outstretched hand, see him fall into the canyon below. The guilt was still there. He didn't think it would ever leave.
"Now, all I can think about is whether or not I could have saved him if I had joined up sooner," Percy admitted. "That's why I decided to join this initiative of Fury's. He wanted to protect the world. So do I. If I can help prevent any more deaths…" he trailed off there, leaving it unspoken but Steve knew what he meant.
"That's how I feel too," he said. "If there's a problem that I know I can help with, I just can't ignore it."
Percy smirked. "Yeah. Exactly."
They stayed there silently for a moment before Steve remembered they were supposed to be doing something. "Shall we get back to it?" he asked.
"Oh, right, yeah," Percy nodded and they continued on. They didn't see any other agents here and the air seemed to be getting staler. If Steve had to guess, he would say they were closer to the rear of the ship. He briefly wondered if there were agents monitoring them on the cameras, watching their progress. He didn't worry about it though. If someone came after they, they'd deal with it. And it would mean that Fury was definitely hiding something.
"So…" Percy said, drawing out the word. "Must be hard for you. All of this," he waved his finger around. "Waking up, I mean."
Steve nodded. "Well it's not every day you see a ship fly into the sky, no."
Percy decided not to mention this was the second ship he had seen do that.
"Takes some getting used to," Steve said, thinking it over. "When I went down into the ice, I thought that was it. That this is where I died. And…I was ok with that. Because I got to save people, my city."
Percy nodded in understanding. He knew what he was talking about. He'd been willing to give up his life fighting Kronos for his city, his friends and family.
"And now?" Steve chuckled dryly. "I find out that I get to have a second chance. Thing is, I have no idea what to do with it. Everyone I've ever known is long gone. The world has changed in ways I couldn't even begin to imagine. The Internet, gods, aliens, all of it is a lot to process."
"Yeah, I can't even begin to imagine what that must be like," Percy said to him. "But, I can give you some advice, if you want."
"Sure."
Percy took a deep breath, thinking his next words over in his head, wanting to make sure he said them right. "Whenever I get tossed into something I don't understand, like when I first found out about the gods, I try to find the good in it all. My life pretty much sucked beforehand. My stepfather was abusive, I was constantly getting expelled, and it looked like I had no future. But, when I went to the camp, the safe haven, I found friends, people who accepted me. And the love of my life." He smiled, thinking back to his first meeting with Annabeth and how far they'd come since then. "Even now, with aliens coming and a god locked in the basement, I'm still glad cause I get to meet you. I mean, you're Captain America. You were my hero growing up, so getting to meet you and have this talk with you right now is one of the greatest honors I can think of."
Steve smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, kid," he said and thought over what he said. Maybe he was trapped in a timeline he barely understood. Maybe everyone he'd ever known was long gone. But he wasn't. He did have a second chance. And he got to meet good people like Banner or this kid right in front of him. And if him being brought back helped stop this invasion force, then he was glad he woke up. It was like he had said. He couldn't ignore danger and he would never stop protecting people.
He was about to say more when he glanced behind Percy and saw the door with the words SECURE STORAGE 10-C written on the front. "Here," he said.
Percy turned around. "Oh, cool." He leaned against the door and peered inside through the narrow window. "All I can see are crates. Couple catwalks leading to stuff above. Don't know how to get in, though. Neither of us have a keycard and-"
"Step aside," Steve told him.
Percy blinked and stepped out of the way as Steve moved forward, gripping the sides of the door as he began to pull. The metal creaked as it strained from his strength and Steve clenched his teeth from the pull but he never let up until finally, the door relented and the locks snapped, the whole thing coming loose. Steve then slid the door aside easily.
Percy just stood there, watching, mouth agape. He had never seen anyone do that before. Certainly not someone mortal. Maybe those stories of Captain America punching a tank unconscious weren't just stories after all.
Steve glanced back to make sure there was no one coming up from behind before walking through the now open doorway. It was just as Percy had described, rows of large crates with catwalks above them. He stopped as he heard the sounds of agents from above and turned, holding up a finger to his lips for Percy who nodded back. They both carefully made their way to the side where Steve leapt up, grabbing the railing of the catwalk and swung himself over, Percy swiftly following suit. Together, the two continued on their way.
Location Unknown
The large truck drove through the tunnel, no other vehicles driving alongside it. Inside, all the specialized equipment connecting the Tesseract's power swayed slightly from the motion of the truck. Selvig and his scientists continued to work through it all. One scientist handed Selvig a pair of tongs which he used to carefully pick up the stolen iridium off its scale, carry it over the glowing Tesseract, and drop it down into a metal tube which hissed and lit up as it entered. Selvig smiled as it did so. It was all coming together perfectly.
Helicarrier, Atlantic Ocean
"As soon as Loki took the doctor, we moved Jane Foster," Coulson said to Thor, showing him an image of her and her location on the screen. "They've got an excellent observatory in Tromsø. She was asked to consult there very suddenly yesterday. Handsome fee, private plane, very remote. She'll be safe," he reassured the god.
Thor stared at the image of Jane, not fully understanding all the emotions rushing through him as he did. He wished he could see her, hold her again, while at the same time keep her as far away from his as possible to keep her safe. And he felt guilt, guilt that her friend had become a casualty in his war with Loki. Thor only hoped he could prevent it from becoming permanent.
"Thank you," he said. He sighed. "It's no accident Loki taking Erik Selvig. I dread what he plans for him once he's done. Erik is a good man."
"He talks about you a lot," Coulson told him, getting up. "You changed his life. You changed everything around here." He started walking and Thor followed him.
"They were better as they were," Thor replied. "We pretend on Asgard that we're more advanced but we come here battling like bilgesnipe."
"Like what?" Coulson asked.
"Bilgesnipe," Thor repeated but Coulson still looked confused. "You know, huge, scaly, big antlers," he described, using his hands to mime out the antlers over his head but Coulson still looked confused and slightly amused now. "You don't have those?"
"Don't think so," Coulson told him, shaking his head.
"Well, they are repulsive. And they trample everything in their path." Thor walked on to the window, peering out into the expanse of fog and dark sky before him. He had been like that once. Uncaring of the destruction he left in his wake, only in the glory of the battle, the pleasure in the kill. He felt dread of what he would have been like as a king then. And now, it was happening to his brother. And Thor was still responsible. "When I first came to Earth, Loki's rage followed me here, and your people paid the price. And now, again." Coulson silently watching him as he spoke, not saying a word. "In my youth, I courted war," he muttered, cursing himself for those mistakes.
"War hasn't started yet," Fury interrupted, causing Thor to turn and look up at him on the upper level. "You think you could make Loki tell us where the Tesseract is?"
"I do not know," Thor replied, thinking about it. "Loki's mind is far afield. It's not just power he craves, it's vengeance, upon me." Thor blinked at that, hurt by his own words. He still had a hard time believing his own brother, the one he'd grown up beside, wanted that. "There's no pain would prise his need from him."
"A lot of guys think that," Fury told him, walking down the steps, "until the pain starts." He didn't usually condone this sort of thing but his world was threatened and by a living god. He couldn't afford to play nice right now.
"What are you asking me to do?" Thor asked him closely.
"I'm asking, what are you prepared to do?"
"Loki is a prisoner," Thor reminded him.
"Then why do I feel like he's the only person on this boat that wants to be here?" Fury retorted.
Thor stopped, considering those words and unsure of how to respond.
"Because he does." They all looked over to see the girl Samirah al-Abbas walk towards them. Thor instantly straightened up and brushed the hair out of his eyes but Sam ignored him. "I told you already, Loki always has a plan. He caused all that chaos in Germany as a show, a distraction. He wanted your attention on him so that his man could steal the iridium. And then he just lets himself get captured and put into an impenetrable cell without a fuss."
"He nearly took out Rogers, Jackson, and Kane in the plaza," Coulson reminded her.
"Again, as a show," Sam replied. "The second that iron guy showed up, he surrendered. And then, when king moron over here," she jerked her head at Thor, "duked it out with all the others, he didn't even try to escape. He's planning something from that cell. And if he wants to be here, then this should be the last place to keep him."
"It's the only place we can keep him," Fury told her. "That cell is one of a kind. It wasn't even designed for him."
"Exactly," Sam nodded. "This is the only place we can keep him, so he knew he'd end up here. He's toying with you. This is all a game to him and you're falling right into his trap."
Fury closed his eye and grit his teeth in frustration. He knew she was right but he didn't know what else to do. When he took this job, he had no idea he'd have to be tackling living gods like this. He wished Vers was here, or whatever she was calling herself now. She would know what to do. But she wasn't, so he had to do with what he could.
"There's not much else we can do," Fury said. "What would you suggest we do?"
"Let me take him to Asgard," Sam said. "Let Odin deal with him."
"No!" Thor and Fury said at the same time. Fury looked over at Thor in confusion, wondering why he was protesting.
"We are not letting him out of our sight until the Tesseract is back in our hands."
Sam glared at him. "Which is what he wants. Why aren't you getting that?"
"I don't remember exactly inviting you on board, Ms. Al-Abbas," Fury said. "You're only here as you may prove an asset in this mission. But that can quickly be revoked."
Sam stepped forward threateningly, causing Coulson to reach for his gun. "As long as Loki is here, I'm here, no matter what you say."
They continued to glare at each other, the other agents in the room turning to watch the two with wide eyes.
"Hey, what's all the hubbub about?" Sadie asked as she walked in.
Sam ignored her. "Keeping Loki here is a grave mistake," she warned Fury. "One you might just regret."
With that said, she turned and walked out. After a moment's pause, Sadie turned and followed her. "Hey!" she called out but Sam just kept walking. "Hey!" Sadie repeated a little louder, running up to her and grabbing her by the arm.
Instantly, Sam whirled around, holding up an axe to Sadie's throat. Sadie backed off, letting go of her arm. "Ok, cool, no touchy. Got it. Won't do that again. Now let's put the axe down and talk like civilized people, shall we?"
Sam regarded her for a second before putting the axe down. "Sorry," she said grudgingly. "Just…riled up."
"Because Loki is your dad?"
Sam's head shot up. "How…oh, Percy told you?"
Sadie nodded. "Yeah. And I know all about there being two different versions of your gods. That was a mind flip."
"That's one way to put it," Sam muttered. The two feathers Odin had given her had showed her. A memory of a treaty put forth between two versions of the same god, Odin shaking hands with Odin. And a thought, of how Loki would bring chaos down upon this world. She was still reeling from all that knowledge.
"So…" Sadie said carefully, "you know that the Loki in that cell isn't the same as your father, right?"
Sam looked at her. "Yeah, I know that," she said. "But that doesn't change the fact that he's still Loki. He's still a god going around causing chaos and killing whoever he likes. Except this time he's doing it personally. Which makes him even more dangerous."
"Sorry," Sadie apologized. "It just seemed like you were…projecting your feelings of your dad onto this Loki."
Sam closed her eyes. Honestly, she had no idea if she was doing that or not. And she didn't have time to figure it out or not. She had a job to do. And by Allah, she was going to do it. "Look, I don't have time for this," she said bluntly. "I need to figure out what Loki is up to, so if you don't mind." She then moved to walk away.
"So why don't we?"
Sam stopped. "What?"
"Why don't we go figure it out?" Sadie said calmly. "Loki is still in his cell, last time I checked. So why not go ask him what he's up to?"
"You think he'll just tell us?" Sam asked incredulously.
"No. But maybe we can get him to reveal something," Sadie shrugged. "Look, it beats sitting around here worrying about what he's planning, so you in or you out?"
Sam hesitated, but only for a second. "Yeah, I'm in," she said. She couldn't stand another minute of just pacing back and forth, trying to figure out what his plan was while berating all these morons here for so easily falling for his traps. She would interrogate the bastard and she would get some answers out of him. "So, how do we do this?"
Sadie gave her a sly smile. "Leave that to me."
The next thing Sam knew, she was walking right up to Loki's cell under an apparent concealment charm that Sadie had conjured so no one was able to see them.
"Can you keep this up?" Sam whispered.
"Of course," Sadie replied. "I've got this. Just be grateful it isn't my brother doing this. The last time he tried, it kept setting off fireworks."
Sam didn't know what that meant and frankly didn't want to know. So she just pushed on until they reached the detention level where Sadie pulled off some more of her magic and unlocked the door for them, allowing them to waltz on through.
"What about cameras?" Sam asked.
"Already on it," Sadie said. "Magic and technology don't really mix well so right now I'm kind of just freezing the footage in place. They'll probably notice in a few minutes so we might want to hurry."
They quietly crept up the ramp lining the cell, eyes focused solely on its occupant who was lazily walking around his cell, completely at ease. They moved forward slowly, one careful step at a time, when Loki spoke up. "You can come out now, you know."
They both froze.
"Oh please," Loki scoffed. "A concealment charm? I was using magic more advanced than that centuries ago. You're way out of your league. Now drop it. I don't like talking to a wall."
Sadie grumbled but dropped the charm and they became visible. Loki grinned as he saw them. "Ah, the magician and the other demigod. The Valkyrie, if I'm not mistaken."
"Former Valkyrie," Sam instantly corrected.
"Oh, couldn't cut it?" Loki mocked. "Well, probably for the best. Our Valkyries all died terrible deaths anyway. It's only a matter of time before yours follow suit."
Sam gritted her teeth, itching for her axe. She so wanted to smash it right into that smug smile but she couldn't. She had to keep it together. "What do you want?"
"Well, a glass of wine wouldn't be th-"
"I meant here!" Sam growled. "Earth. What, you just want to rule it?"
"That's exactly what I want," Loki said suddenly, all pretenses gone. "It is my destiny to rule, to be king. And Earth is ripe for the taking, desperate for a ruler."
"That is absolutely not true," Sadie said. "I've never needed a ruler. I don't even pay attention to the rulers we have now."
"Why Earth though?" Sam pressed. "Why not take on one of your other Realms? Why not rule them? Why not try Jotunheim, you're half-giant aren't you?"
Loki grimaced at her and she knew she'd touched a weak point. "Full giant, actually," he replied, a dangerous glint in his eye. "And yes, technically I am the rightful ruler of Jotunheim. But that place is a cold, barren wasteland. And most of the other Realms are the same. Asgard and Vanaheim are too well guarded and they'd never accept me as a king, which only really leaves little Earth as an option."
"Yeah, well we don't want a ruler, so no thanks," Sadie told him.
He just shook his head at her. "You may think that's true, but you are wrong. Your world is nothing but chaos. It needs order more than anything. Too many gods running around, and too many mortals acting as gods. All that freedom of theirs destroying their lives. No, they need order, order I can provide." He looked closely at Sadie. "I know you know what I'm talking about."
Sam saw Sadie take a step back, a strange look on her face. "Yeah, well your counterpart tried to take over a little while ago, and we stopped him. We'll stop you too," Sam told him. "And he was a real god. Not some cheap copy like you."
Loki glared out at her with such malice that she could practically see her father standing there instead with those same hate-filled eyes brimming with venom.
"My counterpart?" he said softly. "That would be your father then, right?"
Sam felt her blood freeze. "How did y-"
"Oh, we're connected him and I. I can always sense his presence. Twin gods of mischief. And I sense his power in you. So you must be one of his spawn. What a disappointment you turned out to be then."
Sam almost rushed him but felt Sadie hold her back.
"Ooh, touched a nerve have I?" Loki asked. "Father issues? Yes, I know all about that. I know what it's like to be a disappointment. It's why I decided to break away and make my own place in the universe." He grinned savagely at Sam. "You think just because you fought the other version of me that you actually stand a chance. All of the gods on this little world are bound by their divine laws. Sure, there are loopholes they can exploit, but for the most part, they cannot interfere. So, tell me this, have you ever actually fought your father? Battled him and won?"
Sam bit her lip, refusing to answer. She hadn't. The last time she had tried, she had still been under his control and had been forced into unconsciousness. And in the final battle, Magnus had been the one to fight him in a verbal contest. She had never really fought him. Or any god.
"You see," Loki nodded, knowing he was right. "I have no such limitations. I am over 1500 years old and have fought and killed nearly twice that number. I am one of the fiercest warriors in Asgard for a reason. So you cannot stop me."
"We whooped your butt back in Germany," Sadie stepped in.
"Did you now?" Loki asked curiously. "Did you really?"
And that was the thing Sam most feared. He really had given up on purpose. He really had wanted to be brought here. But why? What did he want out of being held here? What was he waiting for?
"What kind of god lets himself be contained in a prison?" Sam asked, mocking him.
Loki smirked back. "The kind that holds all the cards," he replied easily. "The kind that knows how this will all play out and is content to just watch it unfold. The kind that enjoys seeing you little ants scurrying around in a panic at the boot's approach."
"What is up with the ant and boot thing?" Sadie muttered.
"You may have won some battles, but you are not ready for the war."
"What war?" Sam asked.
"The war that is coming," Loki told her. "The war of the stars. Right now, your petty gods are trembling in a panic over it. They know what is coming. They know what I have started."
Sam frowned. "What are yo-"
"The Tesseract," Sadie interrupted and Sam turned to her. "That's what you're talking about. The Tesseract, and its power."
Loki nodded. "Very good. Yes, the Tesseract. One of six." He chuckled to himself. "I am merely the harbinger of doom. The precursor for what is to come."
Sam felt a deepening sense of dread in her stomach. She really didn't like this turn of conversation. "What are you talking about?"
Loki merely laughed. "You'll see soon enough. After my invasion is complete and my reign secure."
"That'll never happen," Sam growled.
"You can say whatever makes you feel better, but it won't make it true," Loki told her. He then lunged forward, slamming his fists into the glass wall with a CRACK! Sam and Sadie instinctively jumped back in shock. "You may be formidable warriors, but you are nothing to me," he spat. "I am a god, a king. And I will grind you to dust beneath my feet. I will hunt down each and every one of your loved ones and crush their bones between my fingers. I will have them screaming for death. I will make you watch as I drain the life from their bodies, knowing it was all your fault. I will make sure you know real pain before the end. And I will teach you the true power of a god."
He settled back, an easy smile returning to his face. "Now, I am getting tired of your presence and I do believe your time is running out." He nodded at the cameras.
Sam felt Sadie push her towards the exit but she wasn't quite done yet. "I will stop you," she promised. "I will end your little war and beat you into the ground and drag you to Odin's feet. You will never win." But Loki just stared back at her, amused.
"You never stood a chance against your father, little girl," he said with a grin. "What makes you think you stand a chance against me?"
Sam felt like charging him but at the same time felt she had been punched in the chest.
"Oh, and Ms. Kane. Tell Setne I said hello."
She heard Sadie inhale sharply behind her but didn't think about it. She felt Sadie lead her out of the door and heard it close behind them. She felt herself walking down several corridors before she finally sank to the floor. She wasn't aware she was crying until a drop landed on her hand. She quickly tried to brush them away.
"Really got to you, huh?" Sadie asked next to her.
"He's just like him," Sam muttered. "He's just like my Loki. Evil to the core. He knows exactly how to get into my head." She couldn't shake the images of Jid and Bibi and Amir all dangling from Loki's grasp, killed just by being loved by her. Was that the price she would pay for living this life?
"Hey, I know a thing or two about a bad guy getting in your head," Sadie told her. "His words are just words, ok. He's just spitting venom out because he has nothing good inside of him. But you do. Percy told me what Magnus told him about you. That you're a good person with a big heart who always tried to do the right thing and who constantly pushes herself no matter what. So who cares what that guy says or thinks."
Sam let out a shaky breath and nodded. She was right. Her half-sibling Alex would be ashamed of her for letting this guy get to her like that. He was exactly like her father. Nothing but hate and envy inside. His words didn't matter in the end. But his deeds did. She still had a job to do and she had to get back to it.
"What did you mean by the Tesseract?" she asked. "About its power?"
"Oh, right. That thing is seriously scaring the gods."
Sam frowned. "But why would it? Surely they're more powerful tha-"
"That's just it," Sadie shook her head. "They're not. The Tesseract is older than them. They said that it was created at the start of the universe."
Sam whistled. "Ok. That's…pretty old." She frowned, thinking back about the conversation. "The way Loki talked…it was like he wasn't the main threat. That someone else is."
"Yeah," Sadie nodded. "That war he was talking about. It's like someone else is leading it. Like his master."
They both took a moment to ponder that thought. "If this new guy is more powerful than Loki then we need to shut that phony god down now before anything else happens," Sadie said.
"We still don't know what he's planning," Sam reminded her.
"Yeah," Sadie nodded. "Then we just have to try and think of what he could do." She straightened up. "Come on, let's go to the bridge. Maybe we'll find some more answers there."
Sam nodded. "Alright."
Loki paced back and forth in his cell, going over the plan in his head, when he stopped, sensing a presence behind him. Apparently it was going to be a busy night for him. He smiled lightly and said,
"there's not many people who can sneak up on me," as he turned to see Natasha Romanoff standing outside his cell.
"But you figured I'd come."
Loki regarded her. "After," he said. "After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate." The notion was laughable.
"I want to know what you've done to Agent Barton," she said.
"I'd say I've expanded his mind," Loki told her, shrugging innocently.
Natasha tilted her head at him before moving forward. "And once you've won, once you're king of the mountain, what happens to his mind?" She stopped right outside the glass door, folding her arms over her chest.
"Oh…" Loki grinned. "Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"
"Love is for children. I owe him a debt," she replied. The feelings she had for Barton were more than love. He had saved her, set her on a better path, to redemption. She would never stop owing him for that.
Loki walked backwards to the cot set up inside, holding out his hands for her to continue. "Tell me."
Natasha blinked and looked down as she considered it, letting out a deep breath before stepping back as well and sitting down. "Before I worked for S.H.I.E.L.D., I, uh…well, I made a name for myself." She didn't like to think back to those days. The days of the Red Room, the killings and slaughter she had reveled in, all for her supervisors. "I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for. Or on," she added. Loki still watched her, expressionless. "I got on S.H.I.E.L.D.'s radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me." She remembered that day clearly, her first meeting with him, and how much it had changed her life. "He made a different call."
Loki nodded as she finished. "And what will you do if I vow to spare him?" he asked.
"Not let you out," she told him.
Loki laughed. "No, but I like this," he grinned manically at her. "Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?" Humans may be pitiful, but they still did surprise him.
"Regimes fall every day," Natasha replied. "I tend not to weep over that. I'm Russian. Or I was," she added on.
"And what are you now?" he asked.
"It's really not that complicated," Natasha told him, standing back up. "I got red in my ledger. I'd like to wipe it out."
"Can you?" Loki asked, looking at her more closely. "Can you wipe out that much red?" He paused for a moment, his eyes narrowing. "Dreykov's daughter?"
Natasha froze, her eyes flickering slightly at his words.
"São Paulo?" he continued. "The hospital fire?" He then stood up as well. "Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping," he told her savagely. "It's gushing red and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are part of you. And they will never go away."
In the lab, both Tony and Bruce watched the screen as a blinking red icon popped up, saying ACCESS DENIED. Tony quickly pushed it away, continuing on.
At the bridge, Hill moved over to one of the monitors that was flashing an alarm stating VIRUS DETECTED and UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS. She looked up at Fury who regarded it and her carefully, both knowing full well who was behind it.
Steve opened up a crate and glared down at what he saw, looking angrily up at the S.H.I.E.L.D. logo on the wall.
"What is it?" Percy asked.
"HYDRA," Steve replied through his teeth. "It's HYDRA gear. They're replicating it."
"Why?"
Steve looked over at him grimly. "They want to use the Tesseract to power their weapons."
Loki suddenly slammed his fist into the glass, just as he had done with the other two, and just like them Natasha stumbled back in fear. "I won't touch Barton," he promised, "not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear." Natasha stared at him, terror and horror filling her eyes, feeding his power. "And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work and when he screams, I'll split his skull."
Having had enough, Natasha gaped and turned away, covering her mouth in revulsion.
"This is my bargain, you mewling quim," he sneered at her.
"You're a monster," Natasha said shakily, her back to him.
Loki chuckled at that. "Oh no. You brought the monster."
Natasha instantly straightened up and turned back around, all traces of fear gone, her face expressionless once more. "So, Banner. That's your play."
Loki blinked in confusion. "What?"
Natasha started moving, heading right for the exit. She pressed her earpiece and started talking. "Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab. I'm on my way. Send Thor as well. And the demigods."
Loki stared after her, not sure what had just happened. She had…tricked him. Played him for a fool and managed to reveal his plan. He gaped in disbelief.
Natasha turned back to him just as she reached the exit. "Thank you," she told him mockingly, "for your cooperation." She gave him a brief nod before turning and walking out the door.
Fury stormed right into the lab. "What are you doing, Mr. Stark?" he demanded.
"Uh, kind of been wondering the same thing about you," Tony replied, sitting comfortably on the desk next to Bruce.
"You're supposed to be locating the Tesseract," Fury reminded him.
"We are," Bruce told him. "The model's locked and we're sweeping for the signature now. When we get a hit," he pointed on the other side of the room, Fury following it, "we'll have the location within half a mile." The screen was currently 47% done with its search.
"Yeah, then you get your Cube back. No muss, no fuss," Tony said. The screen in front of him beeped and he turned to it, reading the data about Phase 2. "What is 'Phase 2?'"
Steve walked into the room and slammed a HYDRA weapon down on the desk, Percy right behind him. "Phase 2 is S.H.I.E.L.D. uses the Cube to make weapons," he said. "Sorry, computer was moving a little slow for me."
"Rogers, we gathered everything related to the Tesseract," Fury told him, walking up. "This does not mean that we're making…"
"I'm sorry, Nick," Tony interrupted, causing Steve and Fury to look over. "What were you lying?" he asked, holding up a screen of a diagram showing the details of a Tesseract-powered missile.
Steve felt his blood go cold. This was way worse than HYDRA. These weapons were much more powerful, much more dangerous. And were being used by the so-called good guys. "I was wrong, Director," Steve told Fury. "The world hasn't changed a bit."
Thor, Natasha, Sam, and Sadie walked in, staring around in confusion at what was happening.
"Did you know about this?" Bruce asked angrily, looking at Natasha and pointing at the diagram.
"You want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?" she replied.
Bruce laughed dryly in response. "I was in Calcutta. I was pretty well removed."
"Loki is manipulating you," she warned him.
"And you've been doing what, exactly?"
"You didn't come here because I bat my eyelashes at you," she said to him.
"Yes, and I'm not leaving because suddenly you get a little twitchy," he glowered. He could feel the anger inside him but it was still manageable, still controllable. He wasn't dangerous yet. And he didn't care. He wanted answers. Now. He grabbed the diagram and pointed at it. "I'd like to know why S.H.I.E.L.D. is using the Tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction."
There was a slight pause and then Fury spoke up. "Because of him," he said, pointing at Thor.
Thor blinked. "Me?" he asked.
"Last year, Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that leveled a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone but we are hopelessly, hilariously, outgunned."
"My people want nothing but peace with your planet," Thor said defensively.
"But you're not the only people out there, are you?" Fury shot back. He didn't need Thor to answer. He already knew there were. He had met them. "And you're not the only threat. Take them," he pointed at Percy, Sadie, and Sam. "Children of the gods with powers beyond our understanding who we didn't know, couldn't know, existed until a few days ago thanks to something called the Mist."
"That was to protect you all," Percy replied, glaring at Fury. "There are actual monsters, beings from your worst nightmares out there and your only protection from them is your ignorance. You're all in more danger now that you can see clearly."
"All the more reason then," Fury told him. "The world's filling up with people who can't be matched, that can't be controlled."
"Like you controlled the Cube?" Steve asked.
"Your work with the Tesseract is what drew Loki to it, and his allies," Thor said. "It is a signal to all the realms that the Earth is ready for a higher form of war."
"A higher form?" Steve questioned.
"I second blondie over here," Sadie spoke up. "You begin threatening the gods with these weapons, they will respond in kind. And they don't hold back."
"Aye," Thor said in agreement.
"You forced our hand," Fury replied. "We had to come up with something."
"A nuclear deterrent," Tony said sarcastically. "Because that always calms everything right down."
"Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark," Fury said in reply.
Steve walked forward. "I'm sure if he still made weapons, Stark would be neck-deep…"
"Wait, wait, hold on," Tony interrupted. "How is this now about me?" He wasn't involved in this. He wanted nothing to do with this. He didn't believe in these kinds of weapons anymore.
"I'm sorry, isn't everything?" Steve asked rhetorically. "Do you understand the seriousness of the situation."
"What is it about me that bothers you so much?" Tony asked him. "I'm serious."
"I thought humans were more evolved than this," Thor said.
"Excuse me, do we come to your planet and blow stuff up?" Fury retorted. "Or come and destroy cities without cleaning it up first?" He looked over at Percy as he said this, causing the others to as well.
Percy glared right back. "I'm so sorry for almost destroying your city, my city," he said. "But we were in the middle of a war and if we had lost, this planet would be toast."
"Exactly!" Fury snapped. "World ending threats we aren't even aware of. Ones that destroy our cities right in front of us and we can't do anything about it."
"You could say thanks," Percy replied. "You have no idea how much I've done for you, what all demigods have done to protect this world. What we've sacrificed. And now you come here, showing off your new nuclear weapons, and I can't help but wonder when they might be pointed at us."
"Or us," Sadie stepped in.
"And you can promise that your gods don't come down to Earth and start making messes whenever they feel like it?" Fury asked her, and then looked at Percy and Sam. "That there aren't any civilian casualties when that happens."
Sadie opened her mouth and then closed it again, thinking back to all her previous battles and how much danger those around her had been in. Percy and Sam did the same.
Fury folded his arms over his chest. "As you said, we're mortals. And we need something to stand a chance against these beings."
"The gods and other beings mostly ignore humans because they see them as beneath them," Sam told him. "You start showing off these weapons and they will consider you a threat. And they don't like threats."
"Neither do I," Fury replied, glaring down at her.
"You treat your champions with such mistrust," Thor said.
"You're not my champion."
"Are you boys really that naïve?" Natasha asked. "S.H.I.E.L.D. monitors potential threats."
"Captain America's on threat watch?" Bruce asked incredulously.
"We all are," Natasha told him.
"It's not your concern, Doctor," Fury added.
"Oh, so you do consider demigods a threat?" Percy asked.
"You have the powers of gods. How can we not?"
"Wait, you're on that list?" Tony said, pointing at Steve. "You above or below angry bees?"
"Stark, so help me God, if you make one more wisecrack…"
"Threat! Verbal threat! I feel threatened."
"Show some respect."
"Respect what?"
"You should have let me take Loki, it would have ended all of this," Thor told them all.
"Loki is mine to take," Sam said back. "Don't forget that."
As they all kept arguing with each other, none of them seemed to noticed that the stone in the scepter at the back of the room was glowing more brightly.
As the Quinjet flew through the sky, one of the screens in the cockpit beeped as it located the scepter.
"Transport six-six-bravo, please relay confirm codes," an agent over the speaker said. "I've got you on the computer but not on the day log." As she spoke, the sky in front of the Quinjet shimmered and the Helicarrier appeared. "What is your haul? Over."
"Arms and ammunition," the pilot replied. "Over."
Inside the Quinjet, the soldiers all placed masks over their heads, sheathed their weapons, and loaded their guns, ready for combat. At the end, Barton opened his case and removed his bow, snapping it into position.
"You speak of control, yet you court chaos," Thor said.
"That's his M.O., isn't it?" Bruce asked. The others all looked at him. "I mean what are we, a team?" he asked derisively. "No, no, no, we're a chemical mixture that makes chaos. We're…we're a time bomb."
Fury stepped towards him worriedly. "You need to step away," he warned.
"Doctor, if Loki is counting on you transforming, then that's the last thing that can happen," Sam told him. She didn't really understand what his transformations meant but she knew she had to stop it from happening.
"Why shouldn't the guy let off a little steam?" Tony asked jokingly, putting a hand on Steve's shoulder who angrily shook it off.
"You know damn well why. Back off!" he snapped.
Tony looked at him coldly. "Oh, I'm starting to want you to make me," he said threateningly. He was getting tired of Steve's self-righteous attitude, the same kind of attitude his dad had, the holier than thou act.
Steve smirked at him. "Yeah. Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist," Tony replied without blinking. On the other side of the room, Natasha nodded in agreement.
"I know guys with none of that worth ten of you," Steve said. "I've seen the footage. The only thing you really fight for is yourself. You're not the guy to make the sacrifice play, to lay down on a wire and let the other guy crawl over you."
"I think I would just cut the wire," Tony interrupted. He was reaching his limit. He didn't need this so-called perfect soldier telling him all his mistakes.
Steve smirked again. "Always a way out. You know, you may not be a threat but you better stop pretending to be a hero."
"A hero? Like you?" Tony asked. "You're a laboratory experiment, Rogers. Everything special about you came out of a bottle." He stepped forward as he said this, inches from Steve.
Barton pressed a button and the back ramp opened up to the clear sky. Wind whistled and brushed against him but he ignored, focused solely on the mission. He stepped out onto the ramp and pulled an arrow from his quiver, nocking it. As the Quinjet flew over the Helicarrier, he carefully aimed, ready to fire. He regarded the wind, testing it, and then moved the bow back in response.
He let loose and the arrow soared away parallel to the Helicarrier. It flew through the air, the high wind pushing it back to the ship and right past one of the turbines where it stuck, tiny grapples latching onto the metal surface and holding it there. It began to beep.
Steve looked at Tony closely, ready for a fight. "Put on the suit," he said, wanting to make it a fair fight. "Let's go a few rounds."
Thor laughed behind them. "You people are so petty," he chuckled, "and tiny."
"Yeah, this is a team," Bruce muttered.
Percy watched them all, not believing what was happening. They were all falling apart, some over these minor squabbles. It was like they had all lost sight of the bigger issue here. But before he could step forward Fury spoke up.
"Agent Romanoff, could you escort Dr. Banner back to his-"
"Where?" Bruce interrupted. "You rented my room."
Fury held up his hands in a placating gesture. "The cell was just in-"
"In case you need to kill me," Bruce interrupted again, "but you can't. I know. I tried."
Everyone stopped, staring at him at his words, shocked. He looked at them all, noting their surprise, and in some cases, horror and seemed to falter slightly. He hated that memory. Not because he considered it, but because he failed. "I got low," he said defensively. "I didn't see an end. So, I put a bullet in my mouth, and the other guy spit it out." He shrugged. "So I moved on. I focused on helping other people. I was good. Until you dragged me back into this freak show and put everyone here at risk. You want to know my secret, Agent Romanoff?" he asked her. "You want to know how I stay calm?"
The others all looked at him and they all saw what he grabbed behind him and lifted up. Fury and Natasha placed their hands on their guns while Percy reached for Riptide and Sadie for her staff, the others all getting into battle stances.
"Dr. Banner," Steve said calmly, causing Bruce to look over at him, "put down the scepter."
Bruce looked down at the scepter in his hands in confusion, not having been aware he had picked it up. He stared at it, at the glowing blue stone, and then back up at the others just as the far computer began to beep.
Everyone turned around simultaneously, looking over at the computer. "Got it," Tony said simply.
Bruce put the scepter back and walked over. "Sorry kids, you don't get to see my party trick after all," he said as he walked past.
"You located the Tesseract?" Thor asked.
Sam instantly was more attentive. "Great. Let's get it and finish all of this."
"I could get there fastest," Tony interjected.
"The Tesseract belongs on Asgard. No human is a match for it," Thor announced.
"As long as it's no longer causing mayhem, I don't care," Sadie replied.
"You're not going alone," Steve grabbed for Tony's arm but he shook it off.
"You're gonna stop me?"
"Put on the suit, let's find out."
"I'm not afraid to hit an old man," Tony said to him.
"Put on the suit," Steve seethed at him.
Bruce stood by the computer staring at the screen and the location of the Tesseract in disbelief. "Oh my god."
Back on the Quinjet, Barton crouched down and pressed a button on his bow. And the arrow fixed to the ship stopped beeping.
And then it exploded.
And here's Chapter 6. Hope you like all the stuff I added in. Can't wait for what comes next. I'll try and finish the story before Christmas. Til then, keep reviewing and stay well.